We all have social media…depending on how we use it will determine our future. Notice everything is online, even job applications. Computers, Cell Phones, I-pads, etc. We all have access to these devices. I do as well, to include a social network. I get it. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Tumbler, Text Messaging, Periscope, Tinder, etc. It is up to you to monitor what you type, and it’s up to the parent. Some parents and students really have no clue about what can happen to you if you do the wrong thing. The NCAA/NAIA have recently ruled that college coaches may "click, not comment" on social media posts by prospective student-athletes. This means coaches can friend "PSA's", like, and even share their posts. The new rule is having a dramatic effect on college recruiting!
The student gets messages that are not of good taste and they also respond back in the same manner; the parent comes to the school and says why the school isn’t doing anything about it. My response, did the school give your child the device and are you monitoring the dialogue?
The power of social media is huge. 85% of colleges search for student-athletes through social media. When you leave behind trivial things you’ve done in your past and think it is ok…you’ll find out that it’s not and it will be too late.
What you post is who you represent. It tells who you are. A little more than 65% of student-athletes are passed over due to social media posts. What you don't realize is you can be tracked just off a picture you may post to IG. They're people that can access your information, even find where you live by satellite if they want. It’s important you are educated on the impact social media can have on your future. The use of profanity, images of you with alcohol, bullying, wearing skimpy clothing are all examples of how it may cost you a scholarship. It’s not just the scholarship you should be concerned with either. College admissions offices and employers are also going to be using social media to better understand what kind of candidate you are.
It's a fast-paced world, you must stop to think about a lot of your choices. A nine-year-old posted on FB a status "Going to the park." She posted it not knowing that on her way she would be stalked and grabbed by a pedophile not to be seen again. Be careful of what you post. The main thing is she was nine! What is the legal age to have a FB page? Of course, 13 years old. A status update can change your life forever.
A girl in Ohio took a selfie in the mirror in the girl's locker room after a game. Little did she know that in the background one of her teammates was in the "BUFF" in that image. She posted it and it went viral. The girl taking the picture was investigated by the FBI and was charged with child pornography and child pornography distribution. She had to register as a sex offender. Lost all opportunities for college scholarships and admission.
A young man named Rosario was cut from his high school basketball team. While out to dinner with his family, he tweeted some harsh inappropriate words about the coach and principal. The principal found out and he was expelled from school. He tried to use the 4th and 1st amendments for his argument. He stated he had freedom of speech. Freedom of speech doesn’t work if you threatened to harm. He eventually lost the case and the school was granted the expulsion and he didn’t finish school on time. He had to reapply in another school district and hoped that they accept him.
There was a recruiter who passed on a player without even meeting him. The recruiter saw what he had as a status as far back as 14 years old which was inappropriate and continued to follow his twitter account until he was ready to go to college, 17 years old. The young man misses out a chance to play big time college ball based on a tweet sent years prior to his being recruited.
YORK, Pa. (AP) - It started as a joke. Years ago, Anthony Morgan used a Twitter name that he knew would make his friends laugh. And that’s how it stayed. Just a kid in York having fun, he picked the username to crack up his classmates at New Hope Academy. It didn’t hurt anyone. That decision, however, seemed a lot more important during the college recruiting process. Morgan eventually went to McDaniel College to play, but one of the first things his college basketball coach said to him had to do with Twitter: Change your username and do it now. “I had a Twitter name that was something really inappropriate,” Morgan said. He was no longer getting laughs. Now he understands the blowback.
A coach at another school told Morgan they stopped pursuing him after finding out his Twitter name.
Summer of 2017, a group of girls age range from 12-14 were playing in a softball tournament in Washington state. They were from Virginia. A few of the girls decided to go on Snapchat and post themselves giving the middle finger and referencing their competition. They were disqualified and sent all the way back home from Washington to Virginia without finishing their tournament. They were told it was an act of poor sportsmanship in violation of the tournament rules. A tough lesson to learn.
All electronic devices have what is known as an IP Address. Internet Protocol, which can be traced anywhere in the world. Please don't have the attitude that I won't get caught because I deleted it. Absolutely not! You can recall, find, pull-up anything sent, entered, or clicked by the mouse. Maryland has one of the toughest laws involving Bullying, Cyberbullying, Sexting, etc. So, if you get caught up, you're on your own. So, don't have the attitude, not me. You are being judged by what you type on your social media, whatever you send in the cyber world to include text messaging is permanent. Before you do something dumb to disallow you from being college eligible for athletic or academic scholarships ask yourself these questions; Why am I posting? Should I like or comment on an inappropriate post? Should I share an inappropriate post? If I use a profane acronym, will people understand what it is saying? (Posting something stupid or threatening and saying I was just kidding doesn’t work) Are most of my friends’ post appropriate? Is this too personal? Is this how I want to be treated? Who will see this? (Easy 100,000 people can see what you send in minutes) "Never let a 140-character tweet or post cost you a $140,000 scholarship!"
I only typed this up for you to read because I care about your future as student-athletes that can possibly get a college scholarship through sports and academics. I want you to be marketable and not be naïve about what is going on around you. This is a very serious topic and 100s of 1,000s of student-athletes get passed over just off what they type, text, or send in social media. I want all of you to have a viable option of being a college student-athlete, but do you want it. Are you willing to change and sacrifice? If you have any questions about this, please ask me. Ignorance is not an excuse!
Coach Roycroft